Safe Apartment Buildings Program

When ready, log in to my.hamilton.ca to provide

• Completed registration form with: 
  • Owner and operator information
  • Building contact details 
  • Security features
  • General building information (number of rental units, amenities, etc.)
  • Legal description of the building (can be found on your property tax bill)
• Proof of general liability insurance with a minimum per-occurrence limit of $2,000,000
• Mandatory plans for: 
  • Cleaning
  • Electrical maintenance
  • Managing disruptions to vital services (planned and unplanned)
  • Maintaining the building in of good repair (including a five-year forecast of capital and common element repairs and improvements)
  • Pest management
  • Waste management
• Payment of the registration fee
  • For 2026, the fee is $60 + HST per unit
  • You will be invoiced after your registration documents have been received and reviewed

Social housing providers and providers receiving a rent supplement from the City of Hamilton must register, but they do not have to pay the annual registration fee for any rent supplemented units.  They are still responsible for any fines, fees, penalties, or other charges.

Important Information for Building Owners/Operators

• If you own more than one apartment building, you must register each building separately
• Registration is valid for one year and must be renewed annually
• Failure to register a building may result in an order and fines for non-compliance
• You cannot rent a unit to a new tenant if: 
  • There is an active property standards order against the unit
  • Vital services (such as heat, water, or electricity) are not available
  • You know the unit has a pest problem

The Safe Apartment Buildings By-law 24-054 requires the following documents or information to be posted on each apartment building’s Tenant Notification Board:

• Safe Apartment Buildings By-law registration(PDF, 232.44 KB)
• Most recent building evaluation results *
• Information about the Safe Apartments Buildings By-law 24-054(PDF, 349.94 KB)
• Instructions on how to request copies of each Plan required by the By-law
• Name and contact information of the building’s emergency contact person that is available on a 24-hour basis
• Information about the voluntary list of tenants needing special assistance, including the purpose of the list and how to request to be added to the list
• Instructions on how to submit and follow up on Tenant Service Requests and how to submit unresolved issues to the City by emailing [email protected], calling 905-546-2782 option 1, or filling out the online By-law complaint form
• Information provided by the City of Hamilton in common areas/notice board about tenant rights, eviction prevention, and tenant support resources, and how to access this information in multiple languages *
• Information on City air-conditioned locations available online: hamilton.ca/heatlandlord, and how to access this information in multiple languages *

The following documents or information must be posted on each apartment building’s Tenant Notification Board, as applicable:

• Notice of any upcoming building audits to be completed by the City ^
• Information about planned or unplanned disruptions to Vital Services, including: nature of the disruption, expected length of disruption, and impacted rental unit numbers (if any)
• Information about major capital projects that are being planned or are underway, including: nature of the project, expected length of the project, and impacted rental unit numbers (if any)
• Any Property Standards or Vital Services orders or notices issued by the City ^
• Any notice of appeal to an order
• Information about any violations of the Ontario Fire Code ^

Notes

• * document provided by the City
• ^ document may be issued to the building (or building owner) if required

Once a building is registered, City Municipal Law Enforcement Officers will complete an evaluation to assess the building’s overall condition and maintenance practices.

Evaluations include: 

• Inspecting the building interior and exterior common areas
• Reviewing records and service request processes
• Speaking with tenants if needed
• Assigning an evaluation score

Each building will receive an evaluation score based on these findings.  The score determines when your next evaluation will be scheduled. You must fix any issues identified during an evaluation. 

Evaluation Score and Next Steps:

• 85% or higher: Next evaluation in 3 years
• 51% to 84%: Next evaluation in 2 years
• 50% or lower: An audit will be scheduled 

Building Evaluation scores must be posted on the Tenant Notification Board inside the building and will be published on the City’s website. 

Audits

An audit will be conducted if your building scores 50% or lower.

• Audit fee: $2,123 + HST (fees may increase annually under the City of Hamilton’s User Fees and Charges By-law)

Audits include:

• Inspection and assessment of building’s physical condition 
• Unit-by-unit inspection based on tenant reports
• Tenant engagement (door knocking)
• Review of building standards and record-keeping

After the audit, you must fix all by-law violations. Audit results will be made public. 

The by-law requires every apartment building to have written plans. These plans set minimum maintenance standards and help keep buildings in good condition. 

In addition to creating the required plans, building owners, operators, or landlords must:

• Hire certified tradespeople where required by law (for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, etc.). 
• Keep records of all maintenance activities to show the plans are being followed. 
• Provide copies of plans to tenants upon request or before repairs or treatments occur. 

Integrated Pest Management Plan

This plan explains what owners, operators, landlords, and tenants must do to prevent and manage pest infestations. 

Your plan should include: 

• Inspection Schedule: Preventative inspections every three months in all common areas and units as needed. 
• Response Time: Action within 72 hours of a Tenant Service Request regarding pests.
• Treatment Protocols: Standard treatment steps for each pest type (e.g. ants, bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, hornet/wasp, rodents)
• Containment Measures: Procedures to prevent pests from spreading to other units.
• Follow-Up: Inspection within 15-30 days after treatment. 
• Record Keeping: Maintain logs of inspections, treatments, and tenant notifications.
• Tenant Communication: How tenants will receive a copy of the plan and educational materials before treatment.
• Tenant Responsibilities: 
  • Report pests immediately. 
  • Avoid creating conditions that attract or harbour pests (e.g. clutter, food waste).
  • Treat pets for fleas, lice, or ticks.

Waste Management Plan

This plan explains how your building will meet City requirements for garbage, recycling, organics, bulk items, and other waste types. It shows compliance with the Property Standards By-law 23-162 and Solid Waste Management By-law 20-221. 

Your plan should include:

• Collection Schedule: Dates and times for garbage, recycling, organics, and bulk items.
• Noise Compliance: Do not load waste after 10 pm or before 7 am
• Waste Sorting Areas: Show where bins and containers are located inside and outside the building.
• Bulk Item Process: Storage and disposal procedures between collection days.
• Waste Chutes and Loading Areas: Include details about waste chutes and loading areas if applicable. 
• Tenant Education: Place posters in common areas showing sorting instructions.
• Resources: Sample posters and guidelines at hamilton.ca/ApartmentWaste. 
• New Buildings: Those built or approved after November 2021 must follow the City’s Waste Requirements for Design of New Developments and Collection.

For more details, visit hamilton.ca/ApartmentWaste or email [email protected].

Cleaning Plan

This plan explains how you will keep the building clean and safe. 

Your Plan should include:

• Inspection Schedule: Frequency of checks for cleanliness in common areas. 
• Cleaning Schedule: How often common areas will be cleaned, and methods used.
• Emergency Cleaning: Steps for addressing spills, hazards, or health risks promptly. 
• Documentation: Logs of inspections and cleaning activities. 

State of Good Repair Plan

This plan lists major repairs and improvements needed to keep the building in good condition.  

Your plan should include (but is not limited to):

• Roofs
• Elevators
• Building exterior (facades)
• Windows
• Major mechanical systems (heating, cooling, ventilation)
• Garages
• Interior flooring and wall finishes
• Balconies
• Guardrails
• Stairwells and handrails
• Building access and emergency exits 

A sample State of Good Repair Plan template is available on the Safe Apartment Buildings webpage.  

Electrical Maintenance Plan

This plan explains how the building’s electrical systems will be safely inspected, maintained, and monitored. This plan must be developed and maintained in collaboration with a licensed electrical contractor holding a valid ECRA/ESA licence. 

Your plan should include:

• Working with a licensed ECRA/ESA electrical contractor to develop and update the plan.
• A schedule for regular inspections, testing, and maintenance of electrical systems and equipment. 
• Up-to-date records for all inspections, maintenance activities, and repairs, which must be provided to the City upon request. 
• Procedures for monitoring electrical system conditions and identifying issues proactively. 
• Tenant notifications for any planned electrical work or service interruptions. 

Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) Development Plan Guidance 

Vital Service Disruption Plan

This plan explains how you will ensure tenants have continuous access to vital services as required by the Vital Services By-law 23-161.  

Vital Services include:

• Hot and cold water (continuous and uninterrupted hot water must be at least 43°C)
• Fuel
• Electricity
• Gas
• Heat (minimum of 20°C from September 15 to May 15) 

Your plan should include: 

• How you will communicate service disruptions to tenants.
• Preventative measures to reduce the risk of disruptions.
• Steps to restore services quickly and keep tenants safe during outages.

Vital Service Disruption Plan Template(File, 30.62 KB)

To stay compliant after successfully registering your building, building owners/operators must: 

• Follow the mandatory plans submitted during registration 
• Provide copies of plans to tenants upon request or when doing related work 
• Set up a process to receive, address, and record Tenant Service Requests
• Keep records of all Tenant Service Requests and maintenance activities for at least 30 months from the record creation date
• Maintain a voluntary contact list of tenants who need additional assistance during emergencies or service disruptions
• Install and maintain a Tenant Notification Board in a common area that is easy for tenants to access. Keep the board up to date with information that affects tenants
• Use a certified tradesperson where required by law 
• Provide City staff access to the building for inspections, evaluations, audits, or compliance checks
• Notify the City within 7 days of any changes to building registration plans, contacts, or ownership by emailing [email protected]. If building ownership changes, a new registration is required. 

Building owners must not rent or offer to rent a vacant unit if:

• The unit does not meet minimum maintenance standards under the City’s  Property Standards By-law
• There are property standards orders issued against the unit
• Vital services to the unit have been discontinued 
• There is a known pest infestation in the unit

A Tenant Service Request is a formal request made by a tenant to the building owner or operator to fix a problem in:

• Your rental unit, or
• The building’s interior or exterior 

Tip: Keep a copy of all Tenant Service Requests for follow-up and documentation.  

A request is urgent if it involves: 

• Loss or interruption of vital services (electricity, gas, heat, water)
• A security breach, such as broken locks or unsafe entryways
• Any condition that affects life safety or makes the unit unlivable

Responding means confirming they received the request and advising: 

• What will be done, and
• When repairs will happen

If your building owner or landlord does not confirm what will be done and when, you should reach out to the City by emailing [email protected] or calling 905-546-2782 (option 1) in any of the following situations: 

• Urgent request is not acknowledged in 24 hours
• Pest inspection is not acknowledged in 72 hours
• Non-urgent request is not acknowledged in 5 days
• Building owner or landlord responds to service request but does not follow through with the repair